The ranking of the world's richest authors has been released: J.K. Rowling tops the list with a net worth of $1 billion, becoming the first author in history to reach $1 billion. James Patterson and Jim Davis rank second and third with $800 million each. Interestingly, bestselling authors can earn so much money—some make between $50 million to $80 million per year from royalties and movie adaptations. James Patterson's more than 140 novels have sold over 425 million copies worldwide, while Danielle Steel has sold over 800 million copies of her more than 180 works. Even cartoonists can get in on the action: Groening has accumulated $600 million from The Simpsons. The most heartbreaking data: some have published books their whole lives and still haven't earned as much as a well-known author.